As a possible contingency plan if they don’t get James, the Heat have discussed pursuing the Portland Trail Blazers point guard Andre Miller in a trade, a source said. The Heat could absorb Miller’s $7 million salary with their cap space. The Heat also have had trade conversations since before the draft about sending point guard Mario Chalmers and a first-round pick to Portland for shooting guard Rudy Fernandez, a league source said. It’s possible the talks have now expanded with Heat forward Michael Beasley and Miller.

What do you think about 11.2 career PER, 34.6 career shooter from three Mario Chalmers? Would you take him back for Rudy? The other question is just what the Heat, with so few players on the roster, could offer for Andre Miller. Other than Chalmers, Beasley, a trade exception and draft picks, they don’t have a ton of assets left to them. That’s probably not enough to get a Miller deal done unless a third team is involved. Miller+Rudy for Chalmers+Beasley+Picks+Trade Exception isn’t a move I’d be jumping to do. Would you?

Also, Kevin Durant will sign a five-year extension with the Thunder. Not that that’s a surprise.

UPDATE: Jason Quick says such a deal is “unlikely”, per Andy Miller, agents for both Andre Miller and Fernandez. It’s possible the Chalmers-Blazers buzz is a holdover from Kevin Pritchard’s tenure as GM, as both KP and Chalmers are Kansas alums. That may seem like loose reasoning, but it does come into play.

League sources said yesterday that the Celts have expressed trade interest in guards Leandro Barbosa of Phoenix and Rudy Fernandez of Portland.

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But Fernandez may be even more intriguing. He’s a 6-foot-6 shooter ill-suited to the Trail Blazers’ halfcourt approach. The 25-year-old Spaniard also spoke of being homesick last season when he averaged 8.1 points and 2.0 assists in 23.2 minutes.

While you could argue that, outside of Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, the Celtics don’t have a single attractive asset to include in a trade — depending on what you think of Glen Davis — you can also argue that Rudy Fernandez isn’t an attractive trade asset either. I would imagine, outside of a larger deal, the Celtics would try to send draft picks back to Portland. Is that worth it, or do you hope Rudy wakes up this year, doesn’t pout and improves his value a little?

But you do bring up an interesting point about Aldridge. I keep hearing he’s out there. The Blazers offered Aldridge to the Nets for Derrick Favors and Devin Harris during the draft. Looks like he’s in play.

Yet another aggressive move the Blazers tried to make during the draft. What do you think of the deal? This is one I’d have to think about for awhile, but it’s definitely a move to consider — especially if, like me, you thought Favors would be a great fit next to a center like Brook Lopez. If you think that, it’s tough not to think the same of a Favors-Oden pairing.

Now that I’ve had the chance to think about this deal, it’s one Portland makes and New Jersey says no to first — hence the offer and rebuke. Harris is incredibly affordable at $27 million over the next three years, and the chance for Favors to develop with all that talent around him is a nice situation. Risks like these can be the difference between years of second-round exits with a few appearances in the Conference Finals, and going to the NBA Final multiple times.